
08-Jan-2005, 19:05
|
 | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,539
Home Country: United States Native Language: American English Current Location: United States Member Type: Other | |
Re: cold Commentary 1. What's wrong with your voice, do you have a cold?
That's natural English, but when writing it use two sentences (or at least use a semicolon). 2, What's wrong with your voice, did you have a cold? The did in the second clause puts that clause in the past tense. It clashes with the first clause. Better: "What's wrong with your voice. Are you getting over a cold?" (Using did puts the clause in the simple past, meaning that the cold could have happened at any time.) 3, What's wrong with your voice, did you get a cold? Mr. Micawber's interpretation is possible, but the first sentence is a more natural way of saying that. (If a person has a cold now he naturally acquired it before now.) |